


tell me your troubles and doubts

by thesaddestboner



Category: Hockey RPF, Women's Hockey RPF
Genre: Christmas Party, Concussions, F/M, Gen, No Plot/Plotless, Not Beta Read, Pre-Pre-Relationship, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-12 14:10:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5668831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesaddestboner/pseuds/thesaddestboner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Phil ends up inviting her to Pittsburgh for a Penguins (and family) Christmas party, and Amanda almost feels like she should be offended.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	tell me your troubles and doubts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tielan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tielan/gifts).



> Written for [](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/tielan/profile)[**tielan**](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/tielan/) 's [](http://fandom-stocking.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**fandom_stocking**](http://fandom-stocking.dreamwidth.org/). 
> 
> Amanda's injury doesn't feature prominently, but there's mention of it, as well as the surrounding frustrations.
> 
> Title from "Don't You Forget About Me," by Simple Minds. It doesn't really fit.
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/thesaddestboner) and [tumblr](http://saddestboner.tumblr.com).

Phil ends up inviting her to Pittsburgh for a Penguins (and family) Christmas party, and Amanda almost feels like she should be offended. She knows Phil’s just trying to reach out to her and fold her into his new life in Pittsburgh, but the invitation still sort of feels like a handout. 

She knows she’s not being fair. Amanda calls him back after she gets his text message— _come to pitt for Sids xmas party, miss you & it would be fun_—and says, “Of course I’ll come,” the moment he answers the phone.

Phil laughs—he almost sounds _giddy_ —and Amanda knows she made the right choice.

-

Everyone is kind—almost impossibly so—and no one asks her _so what are you doing with yourself without hockey_ or _when do you think you’ll get back on the ice_ and she appreciates it, but it’s also kind of weird. She wonders if Phil went around and threatened his teammates not to make Amanda feel bad about hockey or something. Hockey’s always there anyway, like a phantom limb, or a ghost; something no one else can feel but her. It’s strange not to be asked about it.

One of Phil’s teammates’ kids is taunting a small fluffy white dog with cocktail sausages and Amanda works on her beer—her second, she thinks, or maybe her third, she’s lost count—and watches, amused. The kid is cute, probably not more than three or four, and she finds herself wondering. She could start a family now, she supposes, as she works on her drink, now that she has all this free time on her hands.

Amanda sighs. She’s only twenty-four; she hadn’t been planning on even _thinking_ about this stuff until she was well into retirement. It’s unfair.

Amanda lifts her cup to her lips and realizes, with a start, that she’s drained her drink. She turns toward the kitchen when a hand lands gently on her shoulder.

“Hey. You look like you could use a refill. What’d you have?” 

Sid. Well, Sidney Crosby. She doesn’t know him well enough—or, like, at _all_ —to be calling him Sid.

“Um, beer,” she says, trying to school her features into something resembling composure. It’s hard not to freak out even just a little bit around someone like Sidney goddamn Crosby.

“Enjoying the party?” he asks, smiling at her, big and open. Sid—Crosby doesn’t even know her and he’s talking to her like she’s a friend. 

His dark curls are tousled— _tousled_ , who even thinks like that!—and his full lips are wet, and goddammit. Maybe she had more beer than she’d originally thought.

“Yeah, it’s… Nice,” she says. “I mean. You have a nice house. It’s—it’s big.”

Amanda wishes she could kick herself in the ass for how un-smooth she is. She wishes Knighter were here because if Knighter were here, Amanda could get her to do the kicking instead.

Crosby laughs. “Thanks. Can I grab you another—what were you having?” He gestures to her red Solo cup.

“Oh, god, I’m not about to make Sidney Crosby bring me a beer,” Amanda says, laughing. “I can get it myself.”

“It’s no problem,” he says. 

He beams at her and Amanda actually feels her heart thump in her chest. Are his eyes _sparkling_ right now?

Christ.

“Maybe I should have water instead,” she says, laughing weakly.

“One water, coming right up.” Crosby makes finger guns, which would be embarrassing on just about anyone else, and heads back for the kitchen.

Amanda drops her head into her hands.

“Rough night?”

When she lowers her hands and lifts her head, Phil is standing in front of her, sipping on a wine cooler and looking unbearably smug.

“Go away.” Amanda groans.

“I think he likes you,” Phil says. “Actually, I’m pretty sure this whole Christmas party was just an excuse to get me to invite you.”

“That’s kind of…sweet, I guess,” she says. 

Crosby returns with a flourish, bearing a red cup and a plate of cocktail sausages, crackers, and an array of expensive-smelling cheeses. 

“I wasn’t sure if you’d had anything to eat so I took the liberty of making you up a plate,” Crosby says, offering her the cup and plate.

“Wow. Thanks.” Amanda swoons. Or maybe it’s the beer she’s had, whatever. She takes the food and drink gratefully and Phil wanders off, still looking smug.

“I’m really glad you were able to make it,” Crosby tells her. His eyes are warm and kind. 

He smiles at Amanda and she finds herself smiling back. 

“So am I.”

**Author's Note:**

> The author of this piece intends no insult, slander, or copyright infringement, and is not profiting from this work. This story is a complete work of fiction and does not necessarily reflect on the nature of the individuals featured. This is for entertainment purposes only. If you found this story while Googling your name or the names of your friends, hit the back button now.


End file.
